Summit must take "decisive" action on Robert Mugabe – UN Secretary General

Wednesday 29th October 2008 10:16

MANILA – African leaders must take "decisive" action to end the deadlock between Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday.

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Both men remained deadlocked over who will control Zimbabwe’s powerful home affairs ministry, which oversees the police, despite efforts to end the crisis early this week in a high-level security meeting.

An urgent summit of the 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) has now been called to help end the problem.

"Now that the SADC has decided to convene their full summit meeting, I hope these leaders – considering their responsibility to see peace and stability maintained in their region – should take very decisive measures to help resolve this crisis," Ban told reporters on the sidelines of a UN forum on migration in Manila.

"This has been taking too long," Ban said, referring to calls that Mugabe agree to power-sharing.

The SADC has for the past seven years tried to press Mugabe into compromise with Tsvangirai, but its members are deeply divided over Zimbabwe.

Some leaders are strong allies of Mugabe, respected by many as a liberation hero, while others blame him for leading the country into economic ruin, causing waves of migrants to cross its borders to seek work. – AFP